Time to reform our failing education system

M Mohiuddin Uzzal, University of New Mexico

Despite Bangladesh's widely-credited success in universal enrolment at the primary level, we have every reason to get concerned by admission test results of Dhaka University, held in September 2018. A staggering 87 percent of the 77,572 candidates taking the undergraduate admission test under “Ka” unit failed to attain the minimum pass mark.

In our educational system, we have a wide disparity in terms of quality among the three educational systems (English and Bangla mediums, and the madrasa system). True, we have ensured access to education, but the quality of education remains to be a daunting challenge.

Eminent citizens and experts have continued to express concerns over the overall quality of education, but we have seen no major policy change in terms of recruitment of teachers, governance of educational institutions and development of infrastructure. We also need to reform our examination system as suggested by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2010. It is time for us, as citizens, to demand reform in the education system because our children's futures depend on it.